10 Best Baby Bouncers of 2023

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Set your infant in motion with these seats for newborns and older kids.

Before you bring your baby home, you may not realize how grateful you'll be for a baby bouncer seat or a floor seat, where you can set your infant down, strap them in and keep an eye on them while doing your adulting. For safety, a baby in a bouncer should always be placed on the floor and buckled in.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our scientists (many of whom are parents) test baby gear year-round, evaluating products for safety and ease of use both in their homes and in our Lab. The best infant swaddles and the best strollers are just two of the numerous categories of products we've tested.

For this story, we looked at more than 20 baby bouncers, evaluating more than a dozen attributes — including ease of assembly, ease of use, ability to age up with your child, whether batteries are needed, price point, fabric, fashion variations and more — to come up with our list of favorites.

At the end of this guide, we share more insider information about how we test baby bouncers, plus age guidelines for bouncer seats, tips for shopping for a baby bouncer and the most up-to-date safety information from trusted organizations.

Looking for more gear to help keep your little one comfy, safe and entertained? Check our picks for the best jogging strollers, the best convertible cribs — and, for all kinds of cool toys and innovative products, the winners of Good Housekeeping's Parenting Awards.

Long a staff favorite, the BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance Soft can be used from day one into the toddler years, which we love. The "bounce" is powered by you or your baby's own movement, so there are no outlets or batteries needed. The pleasing minimalist design and soft fabrics will look great in almost any home, and the seat is lightweight and easy to fold up for travel.

"My daughter loved this cozy but sturdy seat," says GH staffer Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O. "I would put her in it while I prepared lunch or cleaned the kitchen. I also collapsed it and took it in the car to our playgroup so that if I needed to set her down for a few minutes, I had this option."

This bouncer is designed for newborns and toddlers (there are three different recline adjustments) and, without the harness, can still be used as a chair once your baby can walk. One staffer's 2-year-old sat in it for weekend screen time relaxation. In the Lab, we love how fast it is to set up right out of the box and appreciate the child lock that parents have to push to make it fully fold down.

You can find this BabyBjörn baby bouncer in several colors — including light pink/gray and dark gray/gray — and three different fabrics: cotton, cotton jersey and mesh. There is a toy bar sold separately with cute wooden toys for about $60. Also take a look at the similar but extra-quilted BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss variation.

This classic, basic bouncer seat with gentle vibration works well for a young baby who's not yet trying to sit up on their own. A toy bar offers your newborn something to stare at, and eventually your baby will be tempted to reach and spin the toys. You can also easily take the toy bar off if your baby would rather have them out of the way so they can watch the ceiling fan or the goings-on at home instead.

The vibration is mild; if your baby really likes to move, consider a baby swing instead. This bouncer's low price makes it a no-brainer to have at a grandparent's house. Another idea: One home tester uses this primarily in her bathroom so her baby has a seat while Mom takes a quick shower. "It's a great place to put her down, and I got it for so little money," she said. It's also sold in other color and pattern variations.

Ready to rock? This seat from Ingenuity works as a regular baby bouncer, or you can rock it on its curved base like a rocking chair. It's got a five-point harness that goes over your baby's shoulders and not just across their lap, which is useful if your little monkey is trying to climb out and you need them to stay put for a minute. (Though note: Once your baby is ready to crawl and explore, be sure to give them plenty of time to do that each day.)

This comes with an infant headrest to make it nice for a newborn. Install the battery, and it can also provide gentle vibration. Much later, engage the kickstand and take off the harness to make this a stable toddler seat for your 1-year-old.

The mobile is a little flimsy, and this seat does not fold up small. It also has only two recline positions. But our testers found the straps easy to adjust for a growing baby and the fabric easy to remove for washing.

For parents who want a neutral-colored bouncer seat that blends into the living room but comes with some toys, Tiny Love has this fashion-oriented bouncer and rocker.

Use the newborn insert and set the seat on a recline for a young baby. As your infant grows, you can set them more upright. With the kickstand down, this bouncer functions as a stationary baby seat. Put the kickstand up, and the seat can rock on the base like a rocking chair. Note: You, the caregiver, have to make it rock, or let your baby's own motion tip it gently back and forth.

The toy bar is removable, and the entire seat folds flat for storage. All of the fabric zips off and is machine washable. The gender-neutral theme makes this (or the brand's Gymini play mat) a nice baby shower gift.

In our Lab tests, we found the squeeze handle to be super easy to use to adjust the recline of this seat to any of its three positions. We also like that this baby bouncer folds completely flat for storage or travel when you squeeze the child lock.

There aren't any toy options, but this baby bouncer and rocker has significant perks. For example, the fabric zips all the way off and can be machine washed — and you can use this seat from birth. The Maxi-Cosi Kori can be set to be stationary or you can gently rock it back and forth, battery-free. We also like the pretty faux-wood frame.

If you're thinking this baby bouncer looks a lot like that BabyBjörn seat, we agree. But we do appreciate that the Ergobaby version has a supportive newborn insert that makes it a nice little nest for the early months. Otherwise, the features are similar, including the three different recline positions (good through toddlerhood) and the seat's ability to be folded flat for storage or travel (though at eight pounds, this is the heaviest bouncer seat on our list). With this seat, you can easily adjust the angle with a foot pedal, a nice innovation.

The Evolve comes in three color options: pink, navy and gray. A toy bar with cute sea creatures is sold separately for a little less than $50. This baby bouncer launched in August 2022, so testing is ongoing while we wait for families to have the chance to use it for more than a full year, but we like that it's pretty much ready to go out of the box, no assembly required.

Popular as a first chair for a baby who is ready to sit up — when they have good head control, at about 4 months old — this simple seat keeps your baby's bottom toward the floor, resting on a soft mat, but gives them a backrest.

Babies love to be upright and watching whatever the grown-ups and big kids are doing; however, babies should not be kept in this position for more than 20 minutes a day, according to the pediatric physical therapist we consulted, as it's not conducive to natural development.

Note that some online reviewers say they use this chair "instead of" tummy time, but sitting can't replace rolling and reaching on a floor mat for building a baby's muscles. Tummy time gets them ready to crawl and then walk, though some seated time is fine for entertainment or a break. This seat comes with a few simple toys and is also sold in other colors and patterns, from muted designs to bright animal motifs.

Plus, it folds down so you can take it with you or stash it out of sight, and the pad is machine washable. There's some initial light assembly required. Also note that some reviewers say the fit is a tight squeeze for babies with chunky legs.

A classic favorite floor toy, the Kick & Play Piano is now integrated into a baby seat that works from about 3 to 9 months. This is a brand-new offering from Fisher-Price, so we'll be doing more extensive testing with it in homes this year. Initial reviews are that it's very engaging for babies, with lights, music and multiple learning modes. Your baby can kick the keyboard, or the toy can attach to a tray in front of them so they can use their hands. Take the keyboard off and you can use the tray for snacks.

The tray fits in the dishwasher, and the seat pad can be machine washed. The whole thing folds for travel, and the keyboard remains a useful toy into toddlerhood. This floor seat is not a place for your baby to sit quietly; the keyboard vocalizes letters, colors and shapes; plays songs; and encourages your baby to make sounds in return. There's more than 65 total tunes and phrases, and the music can go for 10 minutes straight. But it's a lot of fun!

Surround your baby with entertaining toys in this seat that takes up much less space than a baby jumper. The tray is wide enough to use for serving snacks. Furthermore, this floor seat turns into a booster seat that you can secure to a kitchen chair with the included straps, giving it a longer life than most baby seats.

Our testers found this one to be tougher to assemble than any other seat on our list. You need a screwdriver to tighten small screws and firmly fit the pieces of the tray together. Also, our experts feel the toys on the toy bar hang too low, which isn't a safety hazard, but it means you end up taking the toy bar on and off a lot. Those frustrations aside, our experts like that this baby seat is nicely priced, easy to rinse clean and useful beyond babyhood.

Entertain your baby two ways with this chair: Spin the tray in front and give them a snack, or rotate the three toys in front for some playtime. The mat is attached with hook-and-loop closures, so it's easy to pull on and off for cleaning — and testers say if you use the chair for serving food, you'll be rinsing the polyester fabric in your sink quite a bit. This floor seat requires a bit of easy initial assembly; know, though, that it does not fold down.

Not to be a broken record, but do be sure to use this seat only on the floor. Though it has a snack tray, it is not safe to set it on a chair as if it is a booster seat. For mealtime, see our list of the best high chairs.

Over the past seven years, Good Housekeeping Institute experts have reviewed more than 20 baby bouncers and floor seats with over a dozen babies who didn't know they were helping us evaluate products. We test in our Lab but also in homes nationwide with consumers who provide us with feedback via surveys.

For bouncers, we care about them being easy to assemble, simple to use correctly (on the floor, buckles in place) and easy to clean, by rinsing or by running the fabric through a washing machine. We note whether a bouncer is intended to be used with batteries or whether it simply moves with a baby's own motions or a caregiver's help. We like seats that fold up for storage and seats that can transform to be useful into toddlerhood.

This list of bouncers includes a few that are very new but are initially testing well. We update stories all year as additional feedback comes in from our consumer panelists.

If you're looking to set down your newborn, you'll want a baby bouncer. If your baby is already 4 months old, you may be able to start them in a floor seat.

Either way, these seats are not for use for more than 20 minutes a day, as your baby will need to roll on the floor untethered in order to develop strong muscles for standing and crawling. Here's what to know when you're on the hunt for the perfect seat for your needs:

✔️ What's the age grade? Consider what's appropriate for your infant's age:

✔️ Do you want it mainly for rest, snacks or play? Bouncer seats are better suited for rest: They let a newborn or infant contemplate the trees moving outside the window or Mom fixing dinner nearby. Add a toy bar, though, and they can be for play as well. Floor seats come with a snack tray and/or toys and can be more entertaining for an older baby.

✔️ Can it be used beyond babyhood? Once your baby wants to explore and is trying to pull up to a stand, their time in a bouncer or floor seat is over. That's often around 9 months, but every baby is different. Several of the seats on our list transition into toddler chairs, so 1-year-olds can get themselves in and out.

✔️ Is it battery-powered or baby- or parent-powered? Many of the more expensive and long-lasting seats are simply baby-powered. The bouncers sway or rock as a baby kicks, or a parent can rock the seat gently. Some of the less expensive picks let you add batteries to provide gentle vibration or kiddie entertainment.

In 2018 the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued new safety guidelines for every bouncer seat manufactured or imported after March 19, 2018.

This was prompted by the number of fall injuries and SIDS deaths that occurred when parents misused the seats. Now you'll see a safety warning printed directly on every bouncer seat up by where your baby's head goes, and experts are hoping you'll heed the advice and follow these rules:

Consider our insider tips and insights:

You might initially balk at having those three things in your home at the same time, but in our experience, families are rarely sorry to have multiple options for where they can place a baby.

Here's the deal with bouncers, swings and activity centers:

The Good Housekeeping Institute's parenting product testing is led by Chief Technologist & Executive Technical Director Rachel Rothman and Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Executive Director Lexie Sachs. Both are trained scientists and experienced researchers, and between them they have five kids under age 10.

The article was written by contributing writer Jessica Hartshorn, a journalist and mother of two who covered the baby-gear market for American Baby and Parents magazines. She's also written about the best nursery gliders and the best car seat and stroller combos.

Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.

Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH's growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH's annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.

Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of the Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she researches, tests and reports on fabric-based products ranging from sheets, mattresses and towels to bras, fitness apparel and other clothing. She also evaluates luggage, rain gear, disposable paper goods and baby products. Lexie has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Prior to joining GH in 2013, she worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.

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